


Gulp

by yeaka



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cat/Human Hybrids, Gen, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-16
Updated: 2019-05-16
Packaged: 2020-03-06 04:35:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18843757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeaka/pseuds/yeaka
Summary: Ignis protects his fish from princely predators.





	Gulp

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Final Fantasy XV or any of its contents, and I’m not making any money off this.

There are exactly nineteen fish in Ignis’ tank. It isn’t easy to calculate that, given how small and quick they are, constantly weaving in and out of the various accessories and underwater plants Ignis’ has bought for them, not to mention forming an amorphous cloud more often than not. But Ignis is nothing if not meticulous, and he’s sure of his calculations. Even if he’s off by a fish or two, it’s still obvious there’s something _wrong_ , because Ignis initially bought twenty-five. 

The missing six are just that: missing. They haven’t passed away of natural causes, because Ignis cleans the tank on a regular basis, and he’d know if there were any remains. He also polishes the glass quite often and would notice a floating carcass. The top is removable, but he’s quite certain the fish themselves aren’t capable of removing it. Therefore, someone else—a human—must have absconded with them. 

A human or a hybrid. Ignis purchased his fish primarily for their colourful scales—they aren’t particularly valuable, neither for cooking nor resale. He couldn’t imagine a human with suitable motivation to steal them.

A cat, on the other hand, would be a different story.

Ignis doesn’t have a cat.

But he does have a spoiled prince from the Lucis Caelum line, which happens to be infused with the cat-like blessings of the Astrals. Noctis _acts_ like a human, seated quietly in Ignis’ dining room with his face buried in council reports, but the large, furry, triangular ears emerging from his black hair betray his _other_ nature. His long tail, for the most part, lays dormant across his lap. But Ignis has caught it flicking dangerously whenever Noctis’ eyes have strayed over his shoulder, catching on the large fish tank in the living room.

Despite the ears and tail and even pointed canines, Ignis does love his prince. He doesn’t _want_ to accuse his childhood friend of something so devious as fish-napping. But he does have his suspicions. Having finally had his school’s numbers cut below twenty, he knows he needs to get his answer. So he deliberately puts off making dinner, even though Noctis has become visibly irritable with hunger. Every time he whines for a treat, Ignis tells him, “When you finish with the reports.”

Then Noctis scowls and returns to his work, ears flattened back against his head in evident displeasure. 

After a time, when Ignis thinks he’s set the trap well enough, he makes his excuse. “Oh, that’s right; I still need to turn over the laundry. Can you manage these alone for a few minutes?”

Noctis nods, glumly quipping, “Yeah.”

As Ignis is getting up from the table, he’s sure to add, “I might be a bit longer, even; it’s a double load...” Noctis just nods. 

Ignis leaves the dining area and walks around the hall, pausing once he’s out of sight but continuing to walk in place, because he knows Noctis has excellent hearing. Then he fades out his footsteps and pauses, counting a few seconds off in his head before sharply stepping back out.

Noctis is still sitting at the table. But when his head snaps up, Ignis can see the bulge in his left cheek. 

“Good lord, Noct!”

Noctis looks at Ignis in surprise but doesn’t open his mouth to say anything. Ignis darts to the kitchen sink and hurriedly fills up the nearest glass with water, then races back around to the table and holds the glass under Noctis’ chin. He snaps, “Spit it out!” Noctis narrows his eyes, but Ignis orders hard enough to make any king proud: “ _Now!_ ”

Reluctantly, Noctis open his mouth and lets the fish tumble into the glass, splashing water over Ignis’ fingers. The poor thing seems to recover and swim about the glass alright, though it must be quite traumatized. 

Before anything else, Ignis returns to the tank and dumps the fish back in with its brethren. It’s a lesson to him: he shouldn’t have underestimated Noctis’ speed and reflexes. He’d hoped to just catch Noctis next to the tank, not actually devouring Ignis’ pets. 

After lingering a moment to be sure the fish is indeed alive, Ignis goes to the kitchen to put the glass in the dishwasher and fetch the spray bottle he keeps by the fridge. Then he returns to the living room and gives Noctis a quick spritz, scolding as he does so, “Bad prince!”

Noctis hisses and whines over being misted, even though it’s just water. He finally admits, “I’m sorry, okay? I was just hungry!”

Ignis administers another spritz anyway. “Those are my fish; you are _not_ to eat them!”

“Okay, okay!” Ignis waits, finger ready on the trigger, until Noctis defensively adds, “I won’t do it again!”

For a few tense seconds, Ignis contemplates further punishment. He is, after all, permitted and expected to administer corrective behaviour where necessary. The spray bottle was given to him by the king himself. That was half the point of getting the hybrid prince a human friend. Noctis whines another, “Iggy, I’m _sorry._ ”

With a sigh, Ignis chooses to believe him. The spray bottle gets put away. But Ignis adds a note to purchase a lock for his tank to his long list of things to do, and when he does make Noctis’ dinner, he’s sure to spitefully load it up with vegetables.


End file.
